Mandatory Monday: Top Rushers

Comments (0)Which teams have the best (and worst) running games? Using everything from broken tackles to breakaways, we rank the NFL's rushers. (USA TODAY Sports Images)

When the Rankings File began over a month ago, we analyzed the offensive lines, which was a lot like unscrambling an egg. When appraising run blocking, I used all of the stats at my disposal, scouting tape, Pro Bowl ballots and anything else available to make tough calls about teams like the Eagles (best rushing stats in the NFL), Seahawks (Super Bowl champions), Patriots (a traditional passing powerhouse that ran the ball exceptionally last year) and Cowboys (very good overall offense, even though the organization is run by ninnies).

The Patriots and Cowboys earned Top Five status on the offensive line, the Eagles fell just outside the podium standers and the Seahawks made their only appearance in a Bottom Five. I provided a lot of high-tech explanations, but frankly, the eyeball and "name the famous guys" tests back up most of those determinations. The Patriots interchanged a bunch of journeyman runners and gained over 2,000 yards: the line must have had something to do with it. DeMarco Murray is swell, but he isn't Tony Dorsett, and when you factor in the Cowboys' passing proficiency, the Cowboys line must have been pretty strong. On the flip side, Chip Kelly had one of the three best running backs in the NFL, as well as one of the five most dangerous running quarterbacks of all time, on the field when he unveiled his no-huddle read-option, and we spent the postseason watching Marshawn Lynch drag defenders across the line of scrimmage when no holes were available.

Now it's time to enjoy the yolk of that unscrambled egg. Just as statistical evidence can be used to (imperfectly) tease out the contribution of an offensive line, there are ways to determine just where the line's talents end and the running back's skills begin. Football Outsiders keeps track of broken tackles, breakaway runs and a rusher's Success Rate, which will be explained when we get to the Chargers. These numbers generally support what we see with the naked eye: Lynch breaks tackles, LeSean McCoy flies around the corner, Trent Richardson is a steaming mess and so on. Running back scouting opinions, even by talking heads and armchair experts, tend to be the most accurate positional reports: the camera is always on running backs, and anyone can spot a nifty spin move, a stiff-arm or a doomed effort to break outside which results in a four-yard loss.

These "running game" rankings are about more than featured backs like Beast Mode, Shady and Purple Jesus, however. Backup running backs and fullbacks who either a) handle a few carries themselves or b) block like battering rams are also factored into the rankings. Rushing quarterbacks are too, but we will keep as much of the emphasis as possible on designed runs, as opposed to scrambles. Quarterbacks who execute option packages are essentially filling the role fullbacks filled 30 years ago. They "block" by freezing defenders and they confound defensive assignments by keeping the ball themselves now and then. They should be thought of as part of the running game, just as Gio Bernard and Danny Woodhead were part of the receiving game. Finally, wide receivers known for taking lots of end-arounds also factor into the rankings.

That said, there are no real surprises at the top of the list, though things get interesting when we get past the most obvious choices.

The Top Five Running Games

Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks ballcarriers led the NFL with 112 broken tackles. Marshawn Lynch led all running backs with 59 broken tackles. Russell Wilson finished second among quarterbacks with 15. Golden Tate led all receivers with 23, which is irrelevant to us because a) he is now on the Lions and b) he only had three carries last year, but it is worth mentioning. The Seahawks offensive line battled injuries and was pretty awful for much of last season, so Lynch and Wilson broke a lot of those tackles just to get past the line of scrimmage.

We all know about Beast Mode, so let's talk about Wilson as a runner. He rushed 96 times for 539 yards last year, but only 28 carries for 123 of those yards were designed plays, as opposed to scrambles. Two of those carries were sneaks, meaning Wilson kept the ball on something optionish 26 times in the regular season, producing seven runs of 10 yards or more.

I have a pet theory about quarterback options that I call the "32 Carry Rule." The theory states that if a quarterback keeps the ball on roughly 32 options or bootlegs per year, or two per game, then the keeper threat is serious enough to drive the other elements of a read-option package: backside defenders will freeze, play-action receiver screens will be more viable and so on. Two carries per game is not a major threat to the health and well-being of a quarterback who can run, especially if he is the one deciding whether to keep the ball. The corollary to the theory: various read-option packages in use around the NFL will become standard elements in playbooks and game plans because the risk expenditure is so low. Wilson sliding into second base after a pair of seven-yard gains per week opens up so many opportunities for Lynch and others that is too large a benefit to ignore. And 26 carries is close enough to 32 for July football coverage.

The Seahawks also have Percy Harvin as a counter threat for Lynch: Harvin gained 54 yards on three postseason runs. Christine Michael generated tons of buzz during OTAs, some of which got blended into the "Marshawn wants to retire" rumors and took on a life of their own. Michael was a great college prospect who had a fine 2013 training camp. He should replace Robert Turbin as the breather back and absorb some of Lynch's punishment, but don't draft him too early in your fantasy league, at least this year.

The Seahawks also have an incredibly useful fullback. Spencer Ware blocks hard and can run a little. Unfortunately, Michael Robinson who lots of little things well and one big thing exceptionally (he's the world's best Lynch-to-Human translator) looks as if he won't be returning.

2. Philadelphia Eagles

LeSean McCoy is a better all-around running back than Lynch. If you needed one running back to get you through the 2014 season, the soon-to-turn 26-year-old Shady is a wiser choice than the 29-year-old, war-battered Adrian Peterson. McCoy finished second to Lynch with 51 broken tackles, but he tied Peterson for the league lead with 44 in 2012 (Lynch had 26). Few backs with Shady's tackle-breaking ability can match his breakaway speed and ability to escape trouble in the backfield.

The Eagles would rank higher if Nick Foles could run. Foles does not have to be able to run like Wilson or Cam Newton. He just has to be able to run about as well as Andy Dalton. Unfortunately, Foles runs like Joe Flacco trying to carry Philip Rivers up a flight of steep stairs. This would not be a problem in other systems, but Chip Kelly needs those 32 designed carries from his quarterbacks, plus a few more. Foles averaged 3.95 yards per carry on 21 designed keepers, which is not terrible, but it sometimes looked like 39.5 yards were available before the lumbering commenced.

Darren Sproles will probably have more impact as a receiver than a rusher, and former backup Bryce Brown is now with the Bills. Chris Polk had 28- and 38-yard runs in limited action last year and was one of my favorite sleeper acquisitions when the Eagles grabbed him in 2012: he was a workhorse with good vision and power at University of Washington, but went undrafted because of health concerns.

Eagles running backs are helped by an excellent line and a cutting-edge scheme. But neither the line or the scheme would look quite as good without Shady.

3. Carolina Panthers

The DeAngelo Williams/Jonathan Stewart backfield is unique in 21st century football. Running backs don't split carries for six years the way Williams and Stewart have; eventually, the secondary rusher signs a big contract elsewhere, or the primary rusher breaks down. Stewart signed the big contract to remain in Carolina, which was not the most cost-effective decision in salary cap history, but it likely contributed to Williams' prolonged health and usefulness.

Stewart's health has been an issue for several seasons, but he has been a full participant in OTAs and restructured his (somewhat insane) contract to provide a little cap relief. Williams is not as explosive as he was in his heyday, but sharing carries has paid dividends for the 31-year-old. Williams only carried the ball more than 20 times twice last year, thanks to Stewart and others.

Mike Tolbert is a pretty big "other." The best running fullback in the NFL, Tolbert adds another layer to the 1970s atmosphere in the Panthers backfield. Tolbert converted 20-of-27 short yardage situations for first downs or touchdowns last year as a rusher and took over as the power runner when Stewart was injured.

Cam Newton led all quarterbacks with 25 broken tackles last year. With Newton and Tolbert around to confuse defensive keys, the Panthers were a tough team to defend in short-yardage situations: fourth in the league on 3rd-and-short rushing according to Football Outsiders, seventh in goal-to-go situations. They should be even better this season with Stewart healthy and Stanford power back Tyler Gaffney around to soak up some carries in the event of injury.

The bad news for the Panthers running game: none of these guys can play wide receiver.

4. San Diego Chargers

Football Outsiders has a running back stat called "Success Rate." It looks at each carry and asks, "Did the running back do his job?" The exact definition is a little technical, but a five-yard run on 1st-and-10 is a success, while a nine-yard run on 3rd-and-15 is not. Two yards on 3rd-and-1 is a success, two yards on 1st-and-10 is not. You get the idea.

Danny Woodhead led the NFL with a 60 percent success rate last year. Let's break that down a bit. Woodhead averaged just four yards per carry, which is below league average and not very impressive. On first downs, he averaged just 4.26 yards per carry, which again was no threat to Barry Sanders. But Woodhead gained at least four yards on 30 of his 54 first-down carries, while only getting stuffed for no gain three times and never getting stuffed for a loss.

On second down, Woodhead averaged just 3.8 yards per carry. But he produced first downs or touchdowns on 18 of his 47 carries, converting lots of 2nd-and-5 and 2nd-and-6 situations. He also had a bunch of six-yard runs on 2nd-and-7 or 2nd-and-10, opening up the third-down playbook. Woodhead was then three-of-four as a third-down runner (he was also a very efficient receiver, of course), but failed his one fourth-down attempt.

That was a long way of saying that tiny Woodhead performed like an old-school power runner from the 1970s, grinding out dependable yards so the Chargers could stay in unpredictable down-and-distance situations.

Wouldn't it be great if the Chargers got the running back who finished second in Success Rate to share some carries with Woodhead? Oh wait, they did! Donald Brown's success rate was 54 percent last year for the Colts, proving that holes and opportunities were available in Indianapolis to running backs who chose to seek them out.

Success rates favor change-up and breather backs a little: they are less likely to be pounding the ball into the line in less-than-ideal circumstances. Woodhead and Brown will back up featured runner Ryan Mathews, who suddenly got all the elements of his game together at once starting roughly Week 6 of last year. After three seasons of fumbles, injuries and long stretches where he could neither find a hole nor break a tackle, Mathews suddenly became a workhorse churning out 29-carry, 127-yard games.

So Mathews will do the dirty work, with Woodhead as the quick third-down guy and Brown as … well, they will find a role for him. Marion Grice, an excellent two-way rusher-receiver at Arizona State, is also on the roster. There may be such a thing as too many running backs, but there are carries to go around, because Philip Rivers is not going to run many options.

5. Minnesota Vikings

Adrian Peterson rocks our very souls. So what else do the Vikings have? Former backup Toby Gerhart is now in Jacksonville. Matt Asiata was part of the Vikings' huge collection of fullback/H-back types before Peterson and Gerhart got hurt last year. He carried 30 times for 51 yards against the Eagles, then rumbled off a 39-yard run against the ready-to-quit Lions in the season finale to keep his season average above the ten-foot line. Rookie Jerick McKinnon is the most ready-to-convert-to-running back FCS option quarterback I have seen in years, but he remains an FCS option quarterback trying to convert.

Purple salvation may have to come in the form of Cordarrelle Patterson, who carried 12 times for 158 yards and three touchdowns last season on a variety of option wrinkles. Patterson is one of the NFL's best tackle breaking receivers. All three quarterbacks can also run a little: Teddy Bridgewater lacks long speed but can leg out a keeper now and then, Matt Cassel has Old Guy Wheels and Christian Ponder has both speed and moves if it comes down to him yet again.

The Vikings can't risk feeding Peterson 35 times until he explodes like they did in the middle of last year. A mix of end-arounds, options, former H-backs and former quarterbacks should provide just enough of a counter-punch to keep Peterson effective.

Worth Mentioning

Top Ten: San Francisco 49ers. Frank Gore started his career as a great running back for awful teams who would grind out 1,100 yards per season by sheer force of will when he was not sidelined by injuries. He is now an aging, fading back for a great team who grinds out 1,100 yards because the 49ers are always playing with a lead and can count on him to hold onto the football and fall forward for a few extra feet.

Gore would have had more than one 1,700-yard season early in his career if the Niners were better then. He would be toast by now if the Niners were worse. He has lost most of his receiving value and ended last year with an awful lot of non-nourishing 13-carry performances. Gore needs to be eased into a Jerome Bettis-Marcus Allen role as the guy who runs for one-yard touchdowns and fourth-quarter clock gobblers, his season attempt totals dropping closer to 200 than 270.

Luckily, the Niners have all the makings of a nasty committee. Rookie Carlos Hyde has the power-speed combination of a young Gore. Marcus Lattimore is back on the field after losing over a year to knee injuries; he reportedly looked rusty and tentative in camp, but he was an exceptional prospect before the injuries. Kendall Hunter has been an excellent breather back in the last two seasons and held off the youngsters in minicamp due to his skills in blitz pickup. LaMichael James is more of a returner than rusher but always manages to mix a handful of 15-20 yard runs into the sprinkle of carries he gets each year.

Colin Kaepernick's 31 designed runs netted just 3.7 yards per carry last season. Kaepernick fumbled twice on keepers and lost five or more yards four times as opponents geared up to stop him on options. Relative inefficiency aside, Kaepernick may be the best all-around running quarterback in the NFL.

Top Ten: Green Bay Packers. Johnathan Franklin's neck injury is a crushing blow to a promising young running back. Franklin had a rough training camp in 2013 but appeared to be coming around just before the injury; he left college as the kind of player who sticks around for a decade as the No. 2 guy and receiver in committee backfields.

Franklin's loss is not quite as big a deal for the Packers, though they will miss him. Eddie Lacy's rookie year was like four seasons in one. He looked lost in training camp and the preseason, then suddenly looked like the Terrell Davis to Aaron Rodgers' John Elway, then had to carry the offense on his back when the zombie plague struck the quarterbacks, then gutted out a playoff run despite nagging injuries. Lacy is an excellent young runner in a great situation: the Packers need the I-formation power he provides, but they don't need 25 carries per game in most non-Seneca Wallace circumstances.

James Starks is a great No. 2 back who spent his whole career searching for a No. 1 back. Similarly, John Kuhn finally got the chance to line up as an I-formation fullback and truck some linebackers last year, and he was pretty darn good at it. DuJuan Harris played well in the 2012 postseason and can soften the blow of Franklin's loss. Randall Cobb no longer has to run draw plays to keep the Packers running game extant, but he can still do sneaky end-around things. Rodgers can also run, of course, and while the Packers don't use options much (Rodgers had two designed runs last year), veteran Packers watchers know that he gets a gleam in his eyes around the 10-yard line and seems to look for excuses to scramble for a touchdown.

On the Rise: Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Doug Martin had a thankless, hopeless task last season. The Buccaneers swapped out a quarterback the coaches hated for one too inexperienced to trust with a serious game plan, and former coordinator Mike Sullivan was not among the league's creative schemers in the first place. The Bucs offense deteriorated almost immediately into Martin on first down, Martin on second down and an ill-conceived deep pass along the sideline on 3rd-and-7, because opponents knew Martin was getting the ball on the previous two downs. Since Greg Schiano's approach to a strategy that doesn't work was to do it harder, louder and more abusively, Martin got stuck plodding through 27-carry, 45-yard afternoons until his shoulder gave out. Schiano then spent a few weeks broadly hinting that the shoulder was not that bad after all, because Schaino never read The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

Rookie Mike James replaced Martin and hammered out a 28-carry, 158-yard performance against the Seahawks. But human bodies are not meant to take 28 handoffs against the Seahawks, so James soon broke an ankle. Bobby Rainey arrived from Cleveland and happily carried 30 times against the Falcons. Luckily, the Buccaneers gave up trying for Schiano before Rainey could get hurt: it's hard to rack up 30 carries when losing 33-14.

Lovie Smith and Jeff Tedford didn't know what to make of all these running backs, which is why they drafted West Virginia's Charles Sims. Tedford said during minicamp that the Bucs will "alternate" backs, but it sounds like Martin will be the first alternate, with Sims serving as a third-down back and the others vying for smaller roles. (James, still on and off with ankle tweaks, could end up at fullback). Martin is a steady runner and fine receiver, but he is not the ideal 27-carry back, if such a beast exists. Given a solid supporting cast and sane coaches, he can do more than slam his body into walls.

From the Ashes: New York Giants. It was sad seeing the Giants resort to Peyton Hillis and the back-from-exile Brandon Jacobs as ball carriers last year. The Giants won two Super Bowls largely by trusting hard-working rank-and-file players with important roles and getting results. Suddenly, they were giving carries to two of the league's most variably motivated "big name" rushers.

Jacobs could at least still bowl a defender over now and then when the mood struck him. Hillis peaked during the 2011 lockout and serves as a reminder that a team that thinks Colt McCoy and the mid-30s Jake Delhomme are quarterbacks and Mohamed Massaquoi and Chansi Stuckey are wide receivers is also likely to get mixed up and give 331 touches to a quicker-than-average fullback.

The Giants put themselves in that position by getting caught up in Andre Brown's feel-good story. Brown is a wonderful young man who has worked harder in post-surgical rehab than almost anyone in the sports world over the last five years or so. I rooted for him when he tried to make the 2011 Giants, but got injured in camp. I was excited when he made the 2012 team, right up until he got injured. By 2013, he looked like a running back who had gotten hurt too many times, until he got hurt. Some people are not durable enough to play in the NFL, and while the Giants have been paid off for patience in the past, they should have insulated themselves better last year.

Jacobs and Brown are gone. In their place are Rashad Jennings and Andre Williams. Jennings is a useful committee back who could be mistaken for a special player if you don't examine the stat sheet closely. An 80-yard run on a Wildcat play distorts his 4.5 yard-per-carry rate, as do some garbage-time scampers against the Eagles backups. But Jennings can run, catch and do Wildcat things in the unlikely event that the Giants get really wacky offensively. Williams is a 1980s power back trapped 30 years in the future. Think of him as Jacobs with more consistency and 1/10th the headaches. Hillis is still on the roster, as is the fumble-prone shadow known as David Wilson. Wilson could still fit as a speedy change-up. Now that all those old Atari E.T. video game cartridges have been excavated from a landfill, there is room for Hillis' Madden NFL 12.

The Five Worst Rushing Games

28. Baltimore Ravens

Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce finished last and second-to-last in Football Outsiders' DYAR statistic. According to the advanced metrics, they gained 300 fewer yards than replacement level backs would have gained given similar carry totals in similar situations. To prove this theory, the Ravens drafted replacement level back Lorenzo Taliaferro in the fourth round to see if he can do a better job.

Talliaferro looked great at the Senior Bowl. Have you ever noticed that small-school running backs always look great at the Senior Bowl? One reason is that major-program bell cow running backs almost never attend the Senior Bowl, leaving lots of reps for small-school guys. The mandatory Senior Bowl playbooks all look like something Gary Kubiak would give his nephew as a stocking stuffer. There are lots of basic off-tackle runs that require no learning curve and allow quick, tough little runners to use their athleticism. Among us media-scout types, a selection bias also creeps in. "Hey, I don't recognize the helmet of that kid who just ran for 15 yards against defenders who have never met each other. Oh, that's the converted quarterback from Whatsamatta U in Frostbite Falls! Better make a note of him."

That's not to say Jerick McKinnon and Taliaferro proved nothing at the Senior Bowl. They showed that they could find holes, cut back and break tackles against top competition. But "looked great at the Senior Bowl," does not translate into "string of 1,500-yard NFL seasons," especially for FCS guys. Also, Taliaferro got into a little legal trouble in May, and the Ravens don't need any more of that.

Rice, of course, is in his own kettle of fish. It appears his ugly domestic incident may not affect his availability this season. But Rice may simply be finished after six seasons and 1,430 carries. There is nothing unusual about that for a 27-year-old running back, especially a small one who has played the equivalent of an extra season (12 games, 750 yards, 37 catches) in the playoffs. It would be easy to blame Rice's sudden drop on the offensive line, but other indicators suggest a deeper problem: his yards-per-reception are in a three-year decline, for example.

The Ravens no longer have Vonta Leach at fullback and turn to their bench when they want a rushing threat at quarterback. Hope for a rushing renaissance rests not with Rice, Pierce or Taliaferro, but Kubiak and his zone-stretch system. That system often takes a long time to bear fruit, and Kubiak reminded no one of Bill Walsh last year, so rushing optimism must remain guarded.

29. Cleveland Browns

The Ben Tate/Terrance West running back controversy is building up to be a fascinating undercard to the Browns quarterback controversy. Coaches are talking West up, and Tate has responded by reaffirming his status as the unquestioned starter. "No disrespect to any other running back here -- but there's no one that can touch me or that's close to what I do."

Tate is probably right. We have seen him siphon carries from Arian Foster for three years when healthy. He's one of the worst receivers out of the backfield in the NFL, but he's a reliable zone-stretch runner who will again be playing for a zone-stretch coordinator. Everyone has an opinion on West, because Towson averages 70,000 fans per game and plays on ESPN every Saturday against top competition. Also on the depth chart are … Chris Ogbonnaya and Dion Lewis? Dion Lewis is still in the NFL?

A well-regarded No. 2 running back as the No. 1 guy, a small-school stud no one has seen as the No. 2, and hangers-on for depth: this is a bad scene. Luckily, Fozzy Whittaker is only a phone call away.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars are in the same situation as the Browns. They signed a career No. 2 back as their No. 1 rusher, and the backups are a bunch of questions and wishes.

Toby Gerhart has gotten rave reviews in minicamp, and Gerhart averaged 7.9 yards per carry for the Vikings in a weird 2013 season. (Short version: the team forgot he existed when they were making Adrian Peterson carry 25 times per game, then started using him as an 8-carry changeup when they gave up on the idea of ever passing again, then needed him to start when Peterson got hurt, then lost him to a hamstring injury.) Gerhart, like Tate, has been a productive multi-purpose change-up for years, but there are many reasons to pump brakes on the 1,500-yard expectations: minicamp news is always sunny, "fantasy sleeper" buzz takes on its own life and yes, the white guy may be getting pumped up a wee bit. It's dangerous to project a 27-year-old who has never gained over 531 yards in a season to stardom.

Behind Gerhart is Jordan Todman, who averaged 3.4 yards per carry last year and got most of his production in one 25-for-109 game against the Bills when both teams were out of it. Seventh-round pick Storm Johnson got swept up in the Blake Bortles dragnet from Central Florida and could overtake Todman. Denard Robinson is now officially a wide receiver -- thank heavens, because I never want to have to write about an "offensive weapon" franchise tag arbitration hearing -- and Robinson will be better fielding three end-arounds per month than four off-tackle stumbles per week, which the Jaguars tried during the darkest of last year's dark days.

Blake Bortles runs very well and could help Gerhart and the others out with some option wrinkles. As of now, however, Bortles is not the starter.

31. Indianapolis Colts

Andrew Luck was the most effective rushing quarterback in the NFL last season: his 48-392-4 rushing line was both impressive and efficient, producing 19 first downs and 15 runs of ten or more yards. But only five of Luck's runs were designed (mostly sneaks and bootlegs, not options), so his contribution to the running game was really an extension of the passing game.

Donald Brown, second in the NFL in Success Rate, is now with the Chargers. Ahmad Bradshaw and Vick Ballard are both back and have about a one-in-four shot of staying healthy through September. You know who that leaves, right?

Trent Richardson's 2013 awfulness has reached mythic stature. If 2.9 yards per carry for the Colts in the regular season did not do it for you, his four-carry, one-yard, one-fumble playoff performance surely did the trick. Richardson is capable of bouncing back, of course. We all are. He can go on a quest to prove his doubters wrong, except we are not doubters, simply observers. Until he significantly improves his performance, he is among the worst starting running backs in the league, has no dependable backup and holds his team's immediate future in his hands, because Luck shouldn't be asked to lead a team in both passing AND rushing.

32. Oakland Raiders

Running backs don't bounce back from two years of injuries and ineffectiveness at age 29. I am sure we can find examples of running backs suddenly turning things around at Maurice Jones-Drew's age if we scour NFL history and ignore extenuating circumstances (like Al Davis cutting his own nose off to spite Marcus Allen's face), but as a rule, it doesn't happen. The Raiders aren't really banking on it; they are just hoping for 10-15 carries per game that result in more than 40 yards. MJD may barely be up to that.

When future historians explain why NFL running backs are not drafted in the first round anymore, Darren McFadden's picture will accompany the encyclopedia entry. (In this grave future, all images of Trent Richardson will have been burned, and Cadillac Williams will be president, because world leaders of the future will have car names.) McFadden's value has always been locked up in his ability to generate occasional 50-yard runs, but the time he did so was in September of 2012. In the right circumstances, McFadden could have been a useful player, but circumstances have not been right in Oakland in over a decade.

Marcel Reece is a great fullback. Reece has carried 15 or more times in three career games, going 19-103 against the Saints in 2012, 15-74 against the Bengals that year and 19-123-1 against the Jets last year. He caught 10 passes for 157 yards in those three games. I dunno, maybe … Reece should get more carries? The Raiders should feature him as a tailback or single-setback? Reece did not carry the ball at all in half of last year's Raiders games, though he was a healthy starter all year. Reece wouldn't be one of the league's top-ten running backs if he touched the ball 20 times per game, mind you. But I bet he would be more productive than McFadden or MJD.

Next Week: Ranking the quarterbacks is boring. BORING. But I plan to spend this week at the shore coming up with ways of making it interesting. Also, if you like arguing about running backs, there is a whole section of my book, A Good Walkthrough Spoiled, devoted to running back arguments. The running back and quarterback segments were fully updated just a few weeks ago, so the material is as fresh as this article was! Check out the book, available in print and on thingies.